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Dogs and All about Them
·
Robert Leighton
172
CHAPTER
XXIV
THE
RETRIEVERS
It
is
obviously
useless
to
shoot
game
unless
you
can
find
it
after
it
has
been
wounded
or
killed,
and
from
the
earliest
times
it
has
been
the
habit
of
sportsmen
to
train
their
dogs
to
do
the
work
which
they
could
not
always
successfully
do
for
themselves.
The
Pointers,
Setters,
and
Spaniels
of
our
forefathers
were
carefully
broken
not
only
to
find
and
stand
their
game,
but
also
to
fetch
the
fallen
birds.
This
use
of
the
setting
and
pointing
dog
is
still
common
on
the
Continent
and
in
the
United
States,
and
there
is
no
inaccuracy
in
a
French
artist
depicting
a
Pointer
with
a
partridge
in
its
mouth,
or
showing
a
Setter
retrieving
waterfowl.
The
Springer
and
the
old
curly-coated
water-dog
were
regarded
as
particularly
adroit
in
the
double
work
of
finding
and
retrieving.
Pointers
and
Setters
who
had
been
thus
broken
were
found
to
deteriorate
in
steadiness
in
the
field,
and
it
gradually
came
to
be
realised
that
even
the
Spaniel's
capacity
for
retrieving
was
limited.
A
larger
and
quicker
dog
was
wanted
to
divide
the
labour,
and
to
be
used
solely
as
a
retriever
in
conjunction
with
the
other
gun
dogs.
The
Poodle
was
tried
for
retrieving
with
some
success,
and
he
showed
considerable
aptitude
in
finding
and
fetching
wounded
wild
duck;
but
he,
too,
was
inclined
to
maul
his
birds
and
deliver
them
dead.
Even
the
old
English
Sheepdog
was
occasionally
engaged
in
the
work,
and
various
crosses
with
Spaniel
or
Setter
and
Collie
were
attempted
in
the
endeavour
to
produce
a
grade
breed
having
the
desired
qualities
of
a
good
nose,
a
soft
mouth,
and
an
understanding
brain,
together
with
a
coat
that
would
protect
its
wearer
from
the
ill
effects
of
frequent
immersion
in
water.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
